2 boat plugs?

[Jgraham389]

I am restoring a 1975 Fiberform Bowrider. It was stripped of everything and the floor was soaked. I have removed all the saturated foam and there are 2 drain holes. One is on the deck level, and the other is at the bottom of the boat. If the whole underdeck is filled with flotation foam, what is the purpose of the lower plug? Or does the Bilge Pump go there? I have a hose with a fitting that I assume the bilge pump went to. If it goes on the deck level, then I know what to do . If it goes on the lower plug level, do I need to partition off an area so the new flotation foam doesn't cover up and put the pump there? Being my first boat and nothing to go by, any help would be appreciated.

 

[steelespike]

Pictures would help. Do these both go overboard? The pump needs to discharge well above water level.
If the boat becomes flooded say from a heavy rain the foam area will likely have an accumulation of water that needs to drain.
Also the deck(floor) area may need to drain as well.
Usually the lower plug is to allow the boat to drain on the trailer.
Always remove the plug when on the trailer. Some attach the key to the plug so as not to forget to put the plug in before launch.

 

[jbcurt00]

One is a deck drain, and the other is the bilge drain

Boats prior to 1973+/- weren't required to have flotation foam to keep the boat afloat (if only barely) in the event it became swamped. So lots of boats that didn't have foam below decks, had a drain just in case you got condensation, moisture or water below deck. Many manufacturers kept making the hulls the same way after they started foam filling them. Water always finds a way below deck, so it kind of made since, until you consider that the foam can absorb the water like a sponge & then there's none left to 'drain'.

My 1960 Glastron FireFlite had a deck drain & a bilge drain too. Both were more then an inch ABOVE the lowest point in each area that could collect water, so they would drain all but the last inch. That just seems odd to me too.

If you get a lot of water in the boat while you're using it, you can pull the deck drain while underway & hope most of the water finds it's way back to the deck drain, and out of the boat. Just remember the plug HAS to be back IN before you slow down. Else the drain will act like a boat filler nozzle :watermelon:

I'd but both drains back in. Keep plugs in both from the time you back down to the boat launch going in, until you pull the boat back out. And leave them OUT everywhere else.